Self Magazine - She's Got the Look

Models need to look slim and sculpted. They get paid to be beautiful! But squeezing in the recommended 30 minutes of exercise most days of the week can be challenging for anybody. So I descended upon the She’s Got the Look apartment at the crack of dawn to impart a few fit-in-fitness secrets.

RISE AND SWEAT

There was a method to my 5 A.M. madness. (I know the ladies loved being awakened by my whistle!) In a study of gymgoers at the Southwest Health Institute in Phoenix, 75 percent of those who exercised first thing stuck with the program as opposed to those who waited until after lunch (50 percent) or after work (35 percent). Not a morning person? Wake up 15 minutes earlier one week, a half hour earlier the next and so on, until there’s time to do your routine. Obey your new alarm for about four weeks to ingrain the schedule.

SKIP THE GYM

A model’s schedule can be unpredictable;Paris one day, Milan the next. I wanted to give the women a do-anywhere cardio workout that burns maximum calories in minimum time. Jump rope! The childhood favorite torches an impressive 10 calories per minute while shaping your arms and shoulders. No hope with a rope? Try the ropeless JumpSnap (JumpSnap.com) we used on the show. It has a calorie counter and a timer, plus it’s totally packable! Just 10 minutes in the morning erases 100 calories!

TONE ALL OVER, ANYWHERE

Women fear weights, but you must get smart about dumbbells, especially if you’re over 35! The first reason: Two weekly strength sessions keeps bones strong, lowering your risk for osteoporosis. And the second: You can melt all the fat you want with cardio, but if you have nothing curvy underneath, you’re going to look like a popped balloon.

Of course, you don’t have to hit the weight room. Rubber tubing works like weights and it’s suitcase-friendly! Score a resistance band similar to the ones we used on the show at SpriProducts.com, then try these fast, firming moves at Self.com.

LINKS TO VIDEOS INVOLVING BANDS

Body Bonus Video #1